3 Things You Can Do For Your Lawn In March

If you can’t already, soon you’ll see the winter white melt away and reveal a brown weathered mess. This year’s repeated freeze/thaw cycles will have taken a toll on your lawn. Will your lawn turn green again? When should you turf the brown and when should you wait it out?

Be Extra Patient

We’re all itching to be out in the garden and working on our lawns, but as much as possible avoid walking on wet or partially thawed ground. Even with a moist top layer, the compaction caused by walking may shear roots from their plants and slow new growth. Frozen root systems are delicate and need time to thaw and dry out fully.

On a colder day, take a few minutes to clean up anything that’s reappeared in the melting snow like forgotten toys, fallen debris from shrubs and trees, pet messes, and any other items tossed about by snow and winter storms. Removing these obstacles to new growth now means your lawn gets the best start.

Identify Areas In Need

Freeze and thaw cycles are only part of the onslaught your lawn faced this winter. Grass near pathways, walkways, driveways, and familiar pet paths will be hard hit as they thaw out so you might consider protecting these areas at least until the ground is dry again.

How is the lawn beneath where your snow was piled? Spreading out the remaining piles will help the snow melt evenly so parts of your lawn aren’t lagging behind others. Is there one part of your lawn that’s already soggy from trapped melt water? In the coming month or two, you’ll want to add soil and even out these low-lying areas for spring reseeding.

We rely on salt to keep us on the roads all winter, but road salt will wreak havoc on your lawn and areas near curbs and streets may need special attention this spring. Has a sidewalk plow ruined your perfect edging? These are all areas that you might want to flag for special attention in the coming month.

Dead Or Just Sleeping

Spring is exciting. This awkward in between season when winter hasn’t entirely left nor spring entirely arrived can be frustrating. How do you decide if your lawn, or parts of it, is dead or dormant? When the ground warms up sufficiently, the grass will actively begin to grow again, but in the mean time you can tug on the brown areas of your lawn. Grass that’s dormant won’t easily come free of the soil, but damaged roots and dead plants will pull away with little effort.

Early identification of these trouble spots means you’re one step ahead in your spring lawn care regimen. Our knowledgeable team at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa is ready to help you identify and plan your lawn care strategy so you can enjoy a healthy lush green summer lawn! Contact us today!